Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-11-07
A CUSTOM OF pAHoMeY.
SickeninG Sight. for the Eyes of Civilized
Mana Sercuale

N:H-A Scrcnade.
Evans informed me that in few days
one of the customs Us the Dahomians
call them. was To come off in the court
yard of the palace, and that could wit
ness it if | chose. i did choose but
wished afterward that had not These
customs, which have existed aS long as
Dahomey has-they claim a thousand
yearS-are of various kinds, and with
names. The one | was to witness was
called Throwing of the Presents" 9TH
ers, Watering the Kings Graves" 1.-The
Feast % the Troubadours," The Day of
the King" The Milking Of the Palm"
etc.
The day came off Evans, with a shud
der, declined TO attend He had seen Il
the year before. In the center of the
court yard Il platform was erected, hung
with silks, velvets and flags including
that of Dahomey--a white ground, with a
figure in black holding aloft n decapitated
head in one hand and cimiter in the
other. On this platform stood the king,
surrOlnded by his mobiles, among whom l
had prominent seat. while below struG-
gled Il mass of 80, 900 or more people, kept
in some order 10y the woman guard.
The affair began by the king personally
throwing into n sliding trench various
Packages of goods, consisting of cottons,
clothes and cloths, knives, muskets, pipes
and tobacco, all of which were fought
iicrcely for by the crowd below. Then
camc the grand point--thc slaughter.
Tine victims were brought forth lashed
into boat shaped baskets, in sitting po-
Sition, with knees drawn up to the chin,
and lifted into the slide, from which they
went down to the crowd below. Then
there came horrible scramble Thousands
with long and bright knives threw them
selves on the victim and in a moment +
was hacked to pieces, as well rs weI q !
some Of his hackers, the victor being tie
one who came Off with the head. This |
was kept mp for three hours, the numbe, |
killed amounting TO about 200, until the !
crowd below was reeking and smearsd |
with blood. \ more horrible sight was
never witnessed, and it did not lessen the |
horror with me To be told that this is not |
n mere useless slaughter, as civilized ma |
tions suppose, but day Of execution, the |
decapitated being criminals. traitors and |
prisoners of war, who have been often |
sive political partisans." 1t is the highest |
holiday in the year, and the only one |
where much siaughteriny is done, and |
there is no douht, according to Mr.. |
Evans, that the king himself wishes t. |
abolish that part of it but he dares not.
That night, perhaps Us n soother to MY |
nerves, the king gave US a serenadc by |
his own private band. l was awakened |
about midnight bya noise that can com
pare 10 nothing but thunderstorm in
scales. They ran from high to low, and
got terribly mixed in the middle. 1t was
not really unpleasant. but, like the chin
ing of bells should ~ heard at distance
the greater the distance the better. !
sprang TO the window, TO lind that this
b.nd consisted Of twenty-five men, each
with a log, or piece Of wood, the largest
so heavy that il took for men to carry il.
These were set, one end on the ground,
the other supported bya wood trestle, and
beaten or the high end with wood ham
mcrs, Of all sizes, from the hand hammer
TO a sledge, each stick or log emitting its
sound, but no distinguishable air result
nC.-I. w. Watson in North American
Review